Process of and apparatus for effecting dyeing, bleaching, and similar operations upon textile fabrics



March 1929- v G: w. STEIGER PROCESS OF AND APPARATUS FOR EFFECTING DYEING, BLEACHINCT,

AND SIMILAR OPERATIONS UPON TEXTILE FABRICS Filed Jan. 15, 1927 4 Sheets-Sheet arm vents; GEORGE W. STElGER March 26, 1929.

" G. w. STEIGER 1,706,827 PROCESS OF AND APPARATUS FOR EFFECTING mama, BLEACHING,

AND SIHLAR OPERATIONS UPON TEXTILE FABjiICS 4 Sheets-Sheet Filed Jan. 15', 1927 cmzvcp.

WAG 6 March 26,1929. G. w. STEIGER PROCESS OF AND APPARATUS FOR EFFECTING DYEING, BLEACHING,

AND SIMILAR OPERATIONS UPON TEXTILE FABRICS 4 Sheets-Sheet Filed Jan. 15, 1927 4 INVENTOH GEORGE W. STEIGER BY 7a4io @A ATTOR/VEL') March 26, 1929. G. w. STEIGER 1,706,827

PROCESS OF AND APPARATUS FOR EFFECTING DYEING, BLEACHING, AND SIMILAR OPERATIONS UPON TEXTILE FABRICS Filed Jan. 15, 1927 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 lwavrok GEORGE W. STEIGER Br M44 fa/4..

A TTOR/VEV Patented Mar. 26, 19299 mam PATENT orrice. I

GEORGE WILLIAM STEIGEIR, OF JAMAICA, NEW YORK.

PROCESS OF AND APTARATUS FOR EFFEGTING DYEING, IBLII'JAGEING, AND SIMILAI} OPERATIONS ,UPON TEXTILE FABRICS.

Application filed January Q, 192?. Serial No. 16:1,312.

This invention relates to improvements in methods of and apparatus for effecting the dyeing, rinsing, after treatment and extraction and,sim1 lar operations carried out ine the production of textile fabrics. The 1nvention relatesto the dyeing and bleaching of all kinds of textile yarns including rayon (artificial silk) and the like. More specifically the invention relates to a vacuum arrangement for automatically operating av plurality of apparatus comprising, say, boiling ofi apparatus, rinsing, after; treatment, and extracting and drying apparatus, and it has for its object to provide means whereby the automatic operation of the various stages of treating textile materials may be eilcctedsimultaneously, consecutively, or separately, at will. The further objectpf the invention is to eliminate the necessity for the rotation or other handling of thetextiles during treatment whilst effecting eificient dyeing or bleaching or similar operations thereon. In brief, the invention consists in the automatic movement of the ,various or so arate liquors employed in the different stages of the production and treatment of textiles, by vacuum means,and in conjunction with this various improvements in the apparatus employed will be hereinafter fully described WllllBOt-hl purposes and modifi-/ cations of this inventioh will be obvious from a considerationof the following description and claims.

In order-that the-invention may be more clearly understood the same Will' be now describedwith reference tothe accompanying drawings in which various parts of the apparatus are shown in more or less dia granimatic-views and in which Figurel shows a diagrammatic-plan view of a plant formingone modificatioli of the presentinvention, and

i of Fig. 4.

Figure 2 shows a section on line A-A. Figure 3 shows a section on line B-B. Figure 4 is. an enlarged sectional elevation of a control valve for automatically operating the vacuum;

Figure 5 is acorresponding end elevation or release valve 3 which carries a weight, not

shown, which is removable on an operating "shaft or rod, whereby the amount of vacuum created in tank 1 is varied at will. Thus,

when this weight is pulled to the end of the rod, more resistance to the closing of pipe 2 is experienced and a greater vacuum created in tank 1. 1 p

The vacuum tank-1 is in turn connected to a series of boiling-oil, rinsing, aftertreatment and dyeing tanks andlike apparatus, by means of the-common vacuum line 4 in the following manner, The vacuum pipe line 4; is connected by any suitable pipe 4, which might well be a mere continuation of pipe 4, to an automatic governor control valve 10 of special design. This control valve 10 will be fully described later, but for the present it is suificient to understand that this automatic valve can be operated to release and to bring about a condition of vacuum at predetermined periods in one or more of a plurality of vacnumex tension lines 8 connected in parallelto a common vacuum line 9 operated by the control valve 10. I

These vacuum extension lines 8 are shown in clearer view in Figs. 2 and 3, and it will be seen that each line, 8 extends upwards to a considerable height, While each line 8 is alsoprovided with a cock pr valve 8 whereby the vacuum created or released in pipe 9 can be applied, at will, to each one or more of the several lines 8. Itmay be,

I noted here that the end 9 of pipe 9 is not open to the air; only four lines'8 are shown, but it will be understood that more or less of these can be provided according to the needs of the system.

Each pipe line 8 extends upwardly to a height oi at least 33 feet and preferablyto a height of from 40 to 50 feet, and then re turns downwardly to connect with one or' more of the several vessels suitably arranged on the floor of the shed. Each pipe line 8 respectively and a draw-oft pipe 5 is. also I 7 and pipes" 7.

provided.

Referring back to Fig. 1 it will 'now be seen that the vacuum tank 1 is connected through pipes 4, 4, control valve 10, ipel. 9, pipes 8, to a series of treating tan s 5. throughsuitably' disposed expansion tanks Reference is now directed to Figs. 4 and 7 inclusive, which show in various views control valve '10 in detail, The control valve 10 comprises casing 18*having three openings, 10f, l0 and 10 connected respectively to the vacuum line 9, vacuum line 4 or 4" and to the atmosphere. The casing 18 has a cap 19 with air-port 19 secured thereto and extending inwardl to .form a sleeve 20, said sleeve- 20 being a apted to receive a piston valve 21 having a packing ring 22 of any suitable material and carried on a piston 15. The piston valve 21 is secured to the piston by any suitable means such as by the nut 23, and for this purpose the end of thepiston 15 is screw-threaded to receive the nut 23. The piston valve 21, preferably hollow, slidably engages in the sleeve as indicated in Fig. 4. The packing-ring 22 is referably' secured on its other side with a p ate 24 attached to the piston 15, the plate 24 slidably engaging with the inner surface of an optional stationary cylinder or seating 25 secured in the casing 18 andcarrying flanges 27 resting insuitable detents 26 in the easing 18. At the other end of the piston 15 is a second piston valve 28 similar to piston valve 21 carrying packing-ring 29 and plate 30. The other end ofwpiston 15 terminates in a cup 31, adapted to receive piston 15 secured therein by any suitable means such as with a pin 32, The piston 15 carries a suitable shoulder or abutment 33 and the j' other end of the piston 15 slidably engages The casin in a casing 34 secured to .the casing'18 and carrying a sleeve member 35 adapted tore-- ceive the cylinder 28 in a similar manner to the reception of the cylinder 21 by the end 19 a r A I 34 is secured to a base36 by meansof be ts 37 and abut-merits 38 are proton 15 vided adapted to receive and to supporta spindle or rod 12 rotatable therein.

An arm 13 formed with shoulders 39 is rotatably mounted upon the spindle 12, the abutments'or shoulders 38 maintaining the shoulders 39 and thearm 13 in position on the spindle 12. The arm 13 extends inwardly into the chamber 34 and terminates into a U' or forked-shaped member 40 adapted to slidably engage and to straddle the pis- The 'U-shaped end member 40 is preferably of circular formation, and it is adapted to contact with the shoulder 33 and with the end 15 on the pistons 15 and 15 respectively upon movement of the spindle 12. The arm 13 is secured to the spindle 12" by asuitable pin 41. The'arm 13 also carries ari adjustable weight 14 whose position on the arm 13 can be varied at will by re and the rotation of the worm wheel 45 causes the grooved wheel 43 to rotate on the shaft 44. The wheel 43 carries an abutment 12 engaging in a slot 46 of slotted arm 13 slidably engaging the spindle or rod 12. A suitable washer' 47 and pin 48 maintain .the slotted arm 13 in position on the spindle 12. Similarly a washer 49 and pin 50 maintain the slotted arm 13* in position with respect to the pin 12".

Onthe spindle 12 a member 51-is secured by a pin 52, and carriesabutments or lugs 16 and 17. The slotted arm 13 slidably engages with the spindle 12 and terminates in an integral plate 54. The lugs 16 and 17 carry adjustable set screws 53 having shoulders 55 and 56.

The pinion 12 therefore moves up and down the slotted arm 13 which is free to rotate about the spindle 12. In Fig. 5 the arm 13 is shown in a position of equilibrium but a continued rotation of the worm wheel .45 rotating the wheel 43 brings th e,pin'12 into contact with the upper extremity of the slot 46 in slotted arm 13, .and hence to rotate arm 13 about the axis 12, causing extension piece 54 to contact with one or other of the shoulders 55 and 56 of set screws 53 carried in lugsv 16,17, on member 51. The contact of member 54 with either shoulder 55 or 56 moves member 51 secured to spindle 12, and hence rotates spindle 12 and with it arm 13 carrying weight 14. When the'arm 13 has been rotated sufiiciently to .place weight 14 is position of equilibrium any slight further movement will cause gravity to act on weight 14 to rotate the arm 13' sharply causing end 40 to contact with shoulder 33 orend 15", accordin .to 'position of I pin 12 in respect tot-slotted 13".

a r/case? When pin 12 contacts with upper end of slotted arm 13, extension 54: contacts with shoulder 55, rotating member 51 and anticlockwise direction when viewed as in Fig. 5. The arm 13 is slowly rotated in anticlockwise direction until weight 14 passes the line of center of gravity when it falls abruptly to take up such a position as is shown in dotted lines in Fig. 4. The end 40 of arm 1 will, in this case, impact against end 15" of piston 15, causing piston 15 to move laterally whereby piston valve 21 abandons seating and piston valve 28 contacts with seating 25, establishing communication between air inlet 10 and vacuum line 9 while closing vacuum line 1. Similarly a reverse movement is effected when pin 12 engages with the bottom end of slot 46 in arm 13 and connection is established between vacuum line 4 and pipe 9. y

It will be readily understood thathy adjusting the screws 16 and 17 the period in V which the movement of the arm 13 takes line 4 and with the air inlet 10.

With each movement of the piston 15 vacuum is therefore released or brought into being in the vacuum line 9, and hence into one or more of the vacuum extension lines 8 according to whether or not the cocks or valves 8 are open or closed.

Referring now once more to Fig. 2 and assuming that, say, dyed. liquor is in the treating tank 5 and also any material to be dyed is already placed in that tank, the vacuum engine is put into operation, causing a vacuum to take place along pipes 4, 4, and through the control valve 10 into pipes 9 and 8, into expansion chamber 7 and from thence via pipes 7 to the base of the treating tanks 5. Automatic operation of the control valve 1Q causes this vacuum to be alternately released and brought into operation. When the vacuum is on the liquor in the treating tank 5 is drawn downwardly and up into the pipe 7 to the expansion tank 7 and possibly also into some portion of the vacuum extension line 8. It Will have been noted that this extension line 8 is preferably more than 33 feet in height, and this is to prevent any of the liquor being drawn'over the top of the pipe 8 and into the controlvalve 10, since it is well known that 33 feet I is about the limit to which water can be and 8 r'cspectively.- Hence no vacuum exists above the level of the liquor in the expansion tank 7 of the extension line 8 and the liquor returns by gravity to its former position in the treating tank 5. In Fig. 2 two dotted lines indicate approximately the various heights which can easily be attained by the control and release of the vacuum in the pipe 8. Consequently the liquid is automatically moved up and down in the tank and the material to be dyed or otherwise treated therewith is subjected to regular action without necessarily handling the material at all. In other words the liquor is agitated adequately without any human labor or guidance. I

' It will be obvious from the above brief description of the various parts comprising operation of the present invention, that the vacuum generated in the tank 1 can be applied at will to any or all of the various apparatus in connection therewith, and although in the present drawings only four such apparatus are shown, it will be understood that no limit is placed upon the number of such apparatus which may be used in accordance with this invention. The vacuum is automatically controlled by means of the governor valve 10 which alternately opens and closes the vacuum pipe line 4 and the provision of suitable cocks or the like on the series of extension pipe lines 8 enables the vacuum to be directed to one or more of the various apparatus in operation. The return flow of the liquors from-the expansion tanks 7 is permitted by the provision in the top of each material carrier of a suitablevalve de vice so that the liquid rises into each tank to regain initial depth as indicated by the upper dotted line in Fig. 2, whereas when the vacuum is in operation the liquid is withdrawn to a lower position such as that indicated by lower dotted line in Fig. 2.

It will be understood that the provision of an expansion tank as depicted in Fig. 2 may be made in any numberor all of the various apparatus employed, so that the agitation of the liquid in each of the several baths may be operated at will. ,Various modifications will readily suggest themselves to those skilled in the art and it must not be taken that the above description is limiting in any sense save by the interpretation of the features defined in the appended claims.

I claim: H

1. A process for eflecting the dyeing, rinsing, after treatment, extraction and similar operations in the production of textile fabrics wherein the liquid in the several bathsris' caused to flow in alternately up -ward and downward direction by the action of intermittent vacuum.

2. A process for effecting the selective dyeing, rinsing, after treatment, extraction and similar operations in the production of the apparatus employed in effecting the r I rinsing, after treatment, extraction and each of the several baths in the action of similar operations carried out in the production of textile fabrics, comprising a vacuum tank, a pipe connecting said-vacuum tank to each of the series of dyeing, rinsing, after treatment, extraction and similar baths, means for eflecting the alternate operation and release of the vacuum and means fortemporarily storing the liquid drawn from connections between said expansion tanks and said source of vacuum, and means for intermittently releasing and closing said vacuum for predetermined periods.

-10.'An apparatus for dyeing, rinsing, washing and bleaching textile fabrics which comprises a source of vacuum, treating tanks, expansion tanks exposed above said treatthe vacuum, and means for effecting the rel ing tanks, connections between said expanturn flow of said liquid under release of said vacuum into each of said several baths.

4. An apparatus for effecting the dyeing,

rinsing, after treatment, extraction and sim-' ilar operations'in the production oftextile-- fabrics according to claim 3, wherein the means for temporarily storing the with drawn liquids comprises in'each case an extended pipe line risingto a height of at,

least 33 ft. said pipe lines connecting with" the pipe leading to-said vacuum tank, and means for selectively operating one or mpre of the series of extended pipe lines.

5. An apparatus for effecting the dyeing, rinsing,- after treatment, extraction and similaroperations in the production of textile fabrics according to claim 3, in which means are provided for temporarily storing the between said source of vacuum and the bases withdrawn liquids comprising in each case areceiving tank and an extended pipe line rising to a height of at least 33 ft. said pipe lines, connecting with the pipe leading to said vacuum tank, and means for selectively operating one or more of the series of extended pipe lines. k I

6. In an apparatus for effecting the dyeing, rinsing, after treatment, extraction .and similar operations carried out in'the production of textile fabrics of the, kind described, the provision of a governor valve adapted to operate the release andclosing of the vacuum pipe lines, means for operating said governor valve and means for adjusting the operation of said valve.

7. An apparatus for dyeing rinsing,

washing and.bleaching textile fabrics which comprises a source of vacuum, connections of a plurality of treating. tanks, and means disposed intermediate said treating tanks and said source of vacuum for intermittently teleasing and closing the vacuum. 8. An apparatus j for dyeing, Trinsing, washing and bleaching textilejfabrics which comprises a source of vacuuni, a plurality of treating tanks having their bases in connection with said source of vacuum, and automatic valve ,mechanism for releasing and closing said vacuum during predeten mined periods.

9. An apparatus for. dyeing, rinsing,

sion tanks and the bottom of said treating tanks, upwardly projecting vacuum extension lines from said expanslon tanks to said ,trol valve for automatically, releasing and closing said vacuum pipe line, a plurality of vacuum extension lines from said control valve to a plurality of expansion tanks disposed abovefa plurality of treating tanks and pipe connections between the bases of said expansion tanks and the bases of said treating tanks.

12. In an apparatus for the automatic movement of treating liquor in a plurality of treating tanks in the manufacture of textiles, the provision of a plurality ofvacuum extension lines rising to a height of at least 33 feet and connecting a control valve with a plurality of expansion tanks connected to the bottom of and disposed above a plurality of, treating tanks, and connection between said control valve and the source of vacuum.

13. In an apparatus ofthe kind claimed in claim 12, the provision of means for the selective action of the control valve on the expansion "tanks.

let. An apparatus for treating I textiles which comprisesa source of vacuum, connections between said source of vacuum and the bases of a plurality of treating tanks, mans for intermittently releasing and closing said vacuum, means for the reception and retention of the liquors from said treating tanks when vacuum is closed, said-retaining means beingadapted to release and returnthe said treating liquor to the treating tanks upon release of said vacuum. 15. An apparatusfor-the treatment of, textile fabrics comprising a source of vacuum, a plurality of treating tanks in connection at their bases therewith, a governor control valve for intermittently releasing and closing said vacuum, a plurality of extension hues from said treating tanks and means for selectively operating said vacuum on said treating tanks.

16, In an apparatus of the kind described,

the provision of a control valve comprising 5 a casing,'a vacuum inlet, an air inlet, and a vacuum pipe connecting with a plurality of vacuum extension lines in connection with' the bases of a plurality of treating tanks, a piston operating in said casing to alternately open and close said air inlet and said vacuum inlet, and means for automatically operating said piston.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

GEORGE W. STEIGER. 

